Thursday, December 31, 2009

Tonight it's goodbye 2009...hello 2010. Behind the scenes, we've been hard at work preparing for some big changes in 2010: JOOLZ will be moving up South Main Street to #112 in the spring. (For those of you familiar with downtown Canandaigua, that's the old Garlock's Business Supply location, right between Expressions in Needleart and Liberty Cottage).The opportunity came along to move to a more centrally-located spot in the downtown retail mix and after several months of negotiations, we were able to make that happen. While we're sad to be leaving our current landlord, who has been wonderful to work with, we're looking forward to being right in the middle of all the downtown action. Construction work is already underway - the store design will be very similar to the current store - just a little bigger and more display space. But we need to lighten the load for the move, so we're happy to announce the first (and probably only)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The out of town kids all arrived on Monday evening -- easy flights, on time, all luggage accounted for. It's a miracle! We did the annual Mother/Daughter Luncheon together, first time for the 3 of us together, on Tuesday. Today was a work day for me and a play day for the others. And tomorrow we will join the rest of the extended family for our Christmas Eve celebration, followed by Christmas dinner for 22 at our house on Friday.Our 4 year old grandson is giddy with anticipation, the first year he really understands that Santa is coming....and soon! We hope you're all giddy with anticipation, too, and that each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday, full of joy and love. Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

I received a postcard from Liaung-Chung Yen in November, inviting me to stop by his booth at the Memorial Art Gallery's Fine Craft Show. I made it a point to introduce myself to him when I was there, and asked how he had heard about JOOLZ. Turns out he worked as a goldsmith with another of our artists, Ayesha Mayadas, and is now out on his own. Ayesha suggested he contact me.

I loved his work the minute I saw it....mainly hand-fabricated 18K yellow gold pieces, some featuring sparkling diamonds. But the metalwork is the star, and his talent is obvious. He also has a design aesthetic that speaks to a woman's femininity -- florals, starbursts, and circles. It's classic but updated, a recurring theme from many of our artists.

Today Liaung came to Canandaigua to drop off some of his pieces, just in time for the holidays and Valentines Day. I fell in love with them all over again and look forward to sharing them with our customers. Hurry in or send in your designated shopper. These are some seriously gorgeous joolz.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

We have big news to share...JOOLZ will be moving up the street in the spring!While we love the look of the store and have a great landlord, our current location isn't in the busy retail section of Main Street. We'd love to have better foot traffic, be right in the middle of all the downtown festivals and activities and be surrounded by other bustling retail stores. When a long-time retail operation closed a couple of months ago, we contacted the landlords of that space and began negotiations. Our current 3-year lease is up at the end of March and we plan to open in the new space, 112 South Main Street, in early April. We'll have the same look, the same exciting inventory and the same superb customer service. You'll just find us in a new location, right in the heart of downtown. Watch the blog for further updates!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Just in - new lampwork glass necklaces from California artist, Carter Seibels. We had some show stoppers from Carter earlier in the year, which all sold quickly. And despite her busy show schedule, Carter was able to make these gorgeous new pieces for us, just in time for the holidays. They really ::sparkle:: under the lights in the case. Let 'em shine!...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

We're off to my brother Tom's house for turkey tomorrow and I can't wait. I just love...love...love Thanksgiving dinner - all the good smells, all the wonderful family members, all the things to be thankful for:

our nephew, Ted, is recently back from Afghanistan - safe and sound

my year of medical challenges has run its course and all is well

Suzanne continues to be an important asset at the store and JOOLZ continues to attract new customers and new artists

our family continues to grow as two nieces became engaged and two others had daughters this year

my hairdresser, Olivia, is happily pregnant after years of trying...followed by surgery, and her due date falls between those two nieces' weddings!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

It was shortly after 9:00am this morning...I was setting up shop when what to my wondering eyes should appear... but a lift truck rolling down the sidewalk, led by eight tiny reindeer. OK, maybe no reindeer, but definitely a lift truck, and it stopped right in front of JOOLZ.

Up went the lift and up went the strands of lights. Our building was being outlined in sparkling white lights, joining many others on Main Street in a new collaborative effort between merchants and building owners to light up downtown for the holidays....just in time for this weekend's Holiday Open House.

JOOLZ is decorated inside and out, from head to toe. Our cases are overflowing with wonderful, unique joolz, the holiday music is ready on the iPod and we'll be serving our yummy, hot wassail and homemade cookies this weekend. Plus, for the first time, we're having a drawing for 3 JOOLZ gift certificates. Register to win and use the gift certificate for holiday gifts; the drawing will be on December 7th, following Art Walk (Friday, December 4) and Wine Walk (December 5). Happy Holiday Fun!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

You may remember that we took a wonderful trip to Wyoming and Montana back in September. Glorious vistas, glorious food, glorious time spent with friends...and not least of all, glorious art.

Mary, a good friend since college days, toured me through several wonderful galleries in Jackson. At one of our first stops, I became instantly attracted to a fabulous collection of pearl and gemstone jewelry. I asked if the artist was local and was delighted to discover that she was so local that she was right in the gallery at that very moment. I was introduced to Monica Jansen and learned that she has been making jewelry for some time, having previously been a jewelry buyer for Coldwater Creek. Monica's signature pieces are her 60" (that's right...5 feet long) wrap necklaces. They make a powerful statement and include both organic and Majorca pearls, along with gemstones and precious metal beads. They are drop dead gorgeous and can be worn doubled, tripled, knotted, even wound around 5 times, if you have a long, thin neck.

Monica has sent us a wonderful collection, just in time for the holidays. In fact, here is her limited edition Holiday Necklace, featuring pearls, garnets, onyx and silver beads:

While Monica loves Jackson Hole, it can be a bit nippy in the winter, so she's off to Arizona for a few months. Her love of the southwest comes through loud and clear in her "Confetti" necklace:

Can't you see yourself wearing this vibrant necklace all year long? It can be yours....just say so and we'll wrap it up!

Friday, November 13, 2009

The pumpkins and hobgoblins have been put away for another year and we are now fully decorated for the Christmas season. Downtown Canandaigua is beginning to sparkle with colorful holiday windows and white lights outlining some of the old, historic buildings. The excitement of the season is definitely building...

We found this great wreath at TJMaxx (LOVE that store) and knew it would be perfect for the store's front door. It's hard to see in this photo, but the twigs are all covered with silver glitter. It says ::sparkle:: in a simple, elegant way, just like the interior of JOOLZ. We're ready - are you?

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Kerry Bogert's fans are coast to coast. They love her twisted wire and gorgeous handcrafted lampwork glass beads. And as of today, JOOLZ is delighted to have several new pieces in black and white, one of our customers' favorite color combos.

We arranged a meet with Kerry at the Memorial Art Gallery's 9th annual Fine Craft Show, where her glass bead jewelry was a standout. While I had already seen images of our new pieces, it was so much more fun to see them in person. There's extraordinary craftsmanship, a great design aesthetic and a bit of whimsie all rolled into fabulous statement joolz. You're gonna love 'em!

Unhinged

P.S. We have several more necklaces, bracelets and earrings...come see them all.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Round and round we go with Kathleen Maley's new show stopper "Mobius" necklace in sterling silver and 22K gold vermeil. Lightweight, totally wearable and beautifully designed, it will quickly become one of your favorites!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Pennsylvania artist Abra Gorby creates fascinating resin and wire necklaces, many of which are completely over the top! We just received a new shipment from Abra....and she's done it again. White and bronze "cotton balls," clear resin nuggets, silver-toned chunks, faux pearls of every shape and size - all combined in different necklaces and neck collars to create stop-in-your-tracks statement joolz. Abra's work usually flies out of the store, so come in soon to see her latest over the top creations.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Yesterday, under briefly sunny skies and with a soft breeze blowing, many of Canandaigua's young children marched along Main Street to collect Halloween treats from various merchants. Our own resident witch, Suzanne, was suited up and ready to hand out chocolate (of course!) candy to the kids.

Along came hippies, ballerinas, several vampires, firemen and cops. This frightening skull creature gave us a steady glare,

while our hearts were stolen by this potentially smelly cutie patootie: Hope the kids had fun. We sure did!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

I must be asked that question by 80% of our new visitors. I tell them stories of finding artists while traveling, while attending big wholesale shows, while talking to the service manager at my car dealership, while chatting with friends who know someone who knows someone who makes jewelry. It goes on and on...

Most recently I found a new artist, Ad Lopez, while visiting my daughter in Denver. We went to the Junior League Holiday Mart this past Saturday and as luck would have it, we found Ad:

A retired educator and school principal, Ad now uses his artistic talent to create wonderfully colorful jewelry with a southwestern flair, showcasing his Hispanic and Native American heritage. His work has only been available to retail customers at shows throughout the Denver area, but now it is at JOOLZ. We are the first gallery to carry his work and we think our customers will love it. It's so stunning that a good friend wanted the piece I was wearing at dinner Monday evening - I had bought five necklaces but one stayed in Denver with her.

Here are some of the pieces we brought home with us. If they go quickly, and I think they will, daughter Katie is now our designated Ad Lopez buyer. We want to have that southwestern sunshine lighting up JOOLZ all the time...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

For those of you who love big, statement jewelry, your time has come. Chunky joolz, big stones and a WOW look have all made it to the fashion pages this season. Big is beautiful and big is in!

JOOLZ is happy to welcome new artist Nicole Yacano from Pittsford, NY....who knows how to do "big" in a most beautiful way. Our friend, Jill, found Nicole's work and told her to contact me. She did...and several months later, we have room for her work...but it isn't going to stay around for very long. Nicole and her husband, Joe, brought a selection to the store on Thursday, I made some choices and put the new pieces into inventory after they left. Up into the shadow box cases they went...and within two hours this lovely gold vermeil and turquoise necklace, with matching earrings, had found its new owner:

We have several more necklaces and earrings, including this smashing amber and citrine (dusted with gold leaf) necklace:

Friday, October 2, 2009

Ugly day today - cold and rainy. Some folks walking past the store window even were wearing hats, gloves and scarves. Can that white, powdery stuff that comes down from the sky be far behind?

On a happier note, we received a large shipment of fun button joolz from Wisconsin artist Joan Sample yesterday. Always a conversation-starter, Joan's button jewelry is colorful and a hoot to wear. Here's my new favorite from her large box of goodies:

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

We've just returned from a wonderful week in Wyoming and Montana, where we visited with friends, stayed at some great lodges and saw absolutely magnificent scenery. We had perfect weather - clear, blue skies, low 70's in the afternoons and 40's at night. The stars were out, the elk were bugling (an eerie sound the bull elk makes at night during the mating season) and the aspens were turning a glorious yellow. We couldn't have picked a better week to take a break.

First we traveled from Jackson Hole up to Yellowstone, where the crowds were minimal and we saw Old Faithful put on her mind-boggling show:

We drove on up to Big Sky where we stayed in a magnificent lodge 4 miles up the side of a mountain. Here's the view of the inground hot tub looking into the hills:

The scenic views took our breath away everywhere we turned:

Next up, a visit to Virginia City, where we saw the early version of JOOLZ:

From there we traveled to a working ranch, where we stayed one night on our way back to Jackson Hole. This is Brad Pitt and Robert Redford territory - near the Madison River where "A River Runs Through It" was filmed. More magnificent scenery and many, many fly fishermen out in the middle of the river, doing their best to catch the trout:

Finally, back to Jackson Hole to spend some time with our dear friends, Mary and Ken. We ate well, visited with Mary's family, shopped, found several exciting, new artists for JOOLZ, relaxed and continued to drink in the scenery. Here's our view of the Tetons from the restaurant where we had dinner last night:

We got up at 5am this morning to catch our plane to Chicago, missing Jackson's predicted two inches of snow by a couple of hours. Phew!!

What a trip! One of our best ever....thanks to Mary and Ken, Mary's dear mother and our friends Susan and Ron, who shared some time with us in their West Yellowstone getaway spot. We'd love to do it all over again...

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

John Deere was out mowing the field below our house this afternoon when he rolled the mower into a hole. He's fine....the mower's fine....the Jeep's fine....but thank goodness for AWD. Recently there was an extensive article in our local newspaper about all the farm accidents this summer, with several overturned machines causing serious injuries. Glad John Deere avoided that this afternoon!

On my way back up to our house on the hill, I took this shot of the burning bush that grows by the stone wall of the garden. The reds are gradually overtaking the green leaves. Fall is in the air. I'm not ready!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

As mentioned previously, we have a dwindling supply of bronze joolz by California artist Anne Dick. Now retired, Anne sold her business but the new owners haven't started producing her designs yet. If they could see our sales numbers for Anne Dick jewelry, they would get on it pretty quickly. It would be a win-win for them.For us, right now, it's a no-win. We love it, our customers love it, and we can't get any more.This morning we sold 3 pieces. We no longer have any AD bracelets; we have only 2 necklaces, several earrings (pierced and clips), one pendant and a few pins. Then that's it. If you love Anne Dick joolz, come in and grab 'em while you can.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

This marvelous picture of a dear friend, Eleanor Hickman, was featured in today's Daily Messenger. Eleanor is 100 years old, a gracious, lovely woman who is always up for a fun adventure. How about a hot air balloon ride? Up she went, gleefully riding high above Canandaigua Lake. She makes my heart sing.

Monday, August 31, 2009

JOOLZ was on the road again today...this time traveling to Cloverwood in Pittsford, a lovely complex for seniors. The Cloverwood staff books several outside speakers each week, bringing all kinds of different programs to the residents; many residents say it's like living on a cruise ship - there is something fun to do all day, every day.I had given a program about starting my business to a women's club in early June and it was suggested that the Cloverwood residents might also like to hear it. But this time we also packed up some of our joolz and the residents shopped after the PowerPoint presentation. The compliments on the program and the jewelry were much appreciated, and made all the hard work to take the store on the road well worth it....but boy, am I tired! And it's only Monday....(Editor's note: I must have been REALLY tired when I wrote this entry. Upon rereading it this morning, I saw all kinds of grammatical goofs, which have now been edited. Sorry about that!)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

New York City artist Elizabeth Garvin has been making jewelry for over 20 years. She has a decidedly contemporary bent, yet her work uses classic shapes and materials. She also knows how to create sparkle without breaking the bank.

Just in today, sterling silver and cubic zirconia combine to bring on the bling:

(This post earring is one of a pair, of course. The other one was out of focus, so I chopped it out of the frame. Hope you don't mind!)

Thursday, August 20, 2009

250 ladies attended the annual Thompson Hospital Guild fashion show this afternoon and most of them shopped at the boutiques beforehand. It's always a challenge to take care of that many customers in only an hour and a half, but Suzanne and Jill were there to help...and I couldn't have done it without them.

We even scattered gourmet peppermint lollipops around the display for some extra added enticement. Seemed to work!

Many of the joolz you see in these pix, taken before the opening bell, are no longer available and found new homes today. Thanks to everyone who attended and who made a stop at the JOOLZ display. We had fun and hope you did, too!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Just in - a new shipment from Marco Polo by Jane Barthelemy in Portland, Oregon. We have lots of new necklaces, beads on cables and earrings. Jane designs wonderful glass beads and has them handmade in Italy to her specs, then shipped back to her studio where they are used to make the most wonderful joolz. Here are two necklaces in summer bright colors:

WELCOME TO THE JOOLZ BLOG

This blog chronicled the life and times of JOOLZ, a retail business in Canandaigua, NY that sold handcrafted jewelry made by artists from across the US and Canada. Open from 2007-2013 as a storefront and online operation, the business was closed so that the owner could have a more flexible lifestyle. We invite you to read through past posts and to join us on our new blog, Brownies for Breakfast.